No Minor, But Major Fun!

Subject
Music
Grade(s)
5
Duration
30 minutes
Purpose of Lesson
  • Review of Major/Minor
  • Major Scales: whole tone/half tone pattern
  • Introduce C, F, G Major
Grade 5

  • Music Education Curriculum K-5

  • NB Department of Education
GCO 1: Students will explore, challenge, develop, and express ideas, using the skills, language, techniques, and processes of the arts.
5.1.1 sing alone and with others with emphasis on part singing, phrasing, range, and more complex textures, including counter melodies and descants
5.1.3 demonstrate an awareness of rhythmic/melodic concepts, form, and texture, through language, movement and performance
GCO 6: Students will be expected to apply critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to reflect on and respond to their own and others’ expressive works
5.6.1 apply knowledge of music to make individual choices based on the thoughts, images and feelings the music expresses

Student Expectations
Students will be able to:
  • Understand and identify whole/half tones
  • Understand and generalize the pattern of whole and half tones in major scale (WWH, WWWH) for C/G/F Major
Materials Needed
  • Piano
  • SMART board, keyboard program
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Teacher Generated Web-Based Resources: Keyboard
    *Resource made by Tom Sutton (STU BEd, 2009)
Assessment / Evaluation
  • Can the students identify whole/half tones?
  • Can the students generalize the pattern of whole and half tones in major scale (WWH, WWWH) for C/G/F Major?

PROCEDURE AND STRATEGIES

Warm Up (5 minutes)
  • Sing welcome song, solfege, clap backs

Main Activities (25 minutes)

Review of Previous Class (5 minutes)
  • Review how major/minor makes us feel. How can we tell when we hear something if it is major or minor?
  • Do a couple of examples on the piano (look at names on sheet as well and re-ask the questions they struggled with last time)

Introduction to Lesson (5 minutes)
  • Sing/play C major scale (doh to doh)
  • Explain that it is called a scale. A major scale is a pattern that spans an octave (8 notes)
  • Demonstrate the scale on the SMART board (C Major)

Teaching (15 minutes)
• Define half and whole tones (1/2 + 1/2 = whole)


half_tone_pic_final_1.png

whole_tone_image_k_1.png

major_scale_done_1.png





  • Ask example questions to make sure they get it (especially from E to F, B to C, etc.)
  • Play the scale again on the SMART board keyboard
  • What is the pattern of whole and half tones in C major scale? (WWH, WWWH)
• Start on a different note. What do you notice? (Still a major scale as long as we maintain the pattern.)
• Draw on the SMART board the pattern of whole and half tones (whole tones in red, half tones in green)

  • Demonstrate on SMART board keyboard the major scale starting on G and F (G major scale, F major scale)
  • Sing C/G/F major scales (go to piano)
  • We can play/sing any major scale, beginning on any note, if we follow the pattern!
  • Have each student come to the board and help them identify (using the markers) a whole tone, a half tone.

Modifications
• Have advanced students indicate with dots the notes in a given major scale (following the pattern they have learned; i.e. B flat major).
• Give ALL students a turn to come to the SMART board or piano. For students with fine motor skill exceptionalities, have their TA guide them at the piano so they are included.


Extra Activities
Multipart Chanting
• Sing “Mango, Mango”
• Divide class into three groups
• Assign part to each group. Stress importance of watching conductor
• Put it together!